Fiber-optic cables are known for their ability to transmit data at faster rates than electrical wires. With the increasing demand for high-speed data transmission for consumer electronic devices (smart phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, digital cameras, video cameras, etc.), fiber-optic cables are starting to replace electrical cables for data transmission applications.
To this end, the fiber-optic cables need to be terminated in a manner that allows for them to be operably connected to the electronic devices. For example, many consumer electronic devices have Universal Serial Bus (USB) electrical ports for establishing an electrical connection with an external device. The latest USB specification (USB 3.0) supports a data rate of 5 Gb/s, which is ten times faster than the previous USB specification (USB 2.0), and the latest version is still backwards compatible with the USB 2.0. As fiber optic cable designs begin migrate into this space to support faster data rates, they still must be backwards compatible with the installed base of ports. Active optical cable (AOC) assemblies allow the use of the optical fibers as the transmission medium between connectors instead of copper wires; however, the optical signals conveyed by the optical fibers are converted into electrical signals so that the connector has an electrical interface making compatible with installed base.
In other words, for an AOC fiber-optic cable to be connected to a USB port, it must be terminated with a USB electrical interface configured to transmit electrical signals at the port connection. Unlike a fiber-optic cable used for telecommunications that experiences relatively few connections and disconnections to a panel in a controlled environment, a fiber-optic cable used for consumer electronics will experience frequent connections and disconnections in a variety of environments. Consequently, the mechanical connection between the fiber-optic cable and the connector that terminates the cable must be robust for the large number of mating/unmating cycles required during its lifetime, while still providing a low-cost solution that is quick and easy to manufacture.